The Alabama State baseball team returns to Southwestern Athletic Conference play this weekend, traveling to face Mississippi Valley State in a three-game series.
ASU will play the Delta Devils Saturday in a doubleheader and Sunday in a single game. Game time both days is 1 p.m. and bamastatesports.com will have live stats for all three games.
The Hornets (8-16 overall, 3-3 SWAC) are coming off a 14-9 comeback victory over Georgia State Tuesday night in which ASU rallied from a 6-0 first-inning deficit and a 9-2 fourth-inning deficit to win for the fourth time in the past seven games.
The triumph was symbolic of what Alabama State has become in the past two weeks - a team that has become smarter at the plate, leading to better at bats, more production, and more victories. In scoring runs in five of eight innings Panthers, the Hornets are taking advantage of run-scoring opportunities which has led to improved offense.
In the past seven games against all against non-SWAC competition, ASU is batting.355 with 22 extra base hits, five home runs and 65 runs scored. Beyond the tangibles, head coach
Mervyl Melendez likes the intangibles he has seen from his team in the past two weeks.
“I think the way we are playing and the confidence level that we are playing with now is a lot different, not only in recent games, but also than the way we started the season,” Melendez said. “We see them understanding more about the system and us as a new coaching staff about how we approach the game. They are not as shocked anymore. In the beginning of the season, I don't think they had the right expectations they needed to have about playing the game. They do now. They know what we demand of them and what type of baseball we should play.”
Alabama State was swept in its last SWAC series at current Eastern Division leader Jackson State in which ASU lost a pair of one-run games and a 6-3 contest two weekends ago. Playing a pair of games against Florida A&M of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), four against Gardner-Webb of the Big South Conference, and this past Tuesday's game against Georgia State of the Colonial Athletic Association have prepared the Hornets to re-enter conference play as a better team.
“I think we needed last week, as well as the game we had on Tuesday, for us to continue to be better,” Melendez said. “Regardless of whom you play, whether conference teams or non-conference teams, we want to continue to be better. In the last two weeks, we have gotten better. We've learned a lot about ourselves and we addressed the things we had not been doing well. We've also tried to improve on the things we've done well. It's showing lately in the games we've played how much better we are getting as a team.”
The Hornets will face a Mississippi Valley State team (5-16, 5-4) that is coming off a three-game conference sweep at Alabama A&M. The Delta Devils have also posted conference wins over defending league champ Alcorn State and Jackson State.
“We know in conference play, Valley has a winning record and they are going to be a tough team,” Melendez said. “However, we have to concentrate on the things we have to do as a team and try to get better. No matter who we play on the road, it's going to be tough. We're expecting to play a very good team that is carrying a lot of confidence as well. We will have to play well to be able to come out on top this weekend.”
